Feline Follies

It seems like yesterday, but more than twenty years have come and gone since that sunny summer day.  In a tiny town along one of northern Michigan's largest lakes, a few people strolled down the sidewalks.  On one sidewalk, a homeless kitten wandered.  Most people hardly gave it a glance.  I was not one of them.

I stopped and talked to the lost soul for a few minutes.  Walking away, I engaged in the timeless battle of "should I or should I not."  When I turned around to go back, a family of three had stopped to kneel down and chat with the kitten.  The kitten had found its forever family.  A little boy was overjoyed.  A few months later, my remarkable, precious Xena came into my world.

The reality is, we never know when or what kind of animal will become a member of our family.  When they do, most days our joys are multiplied beyond our imagining.  Two recent publications, a month apart, focus on our feline friends.  In the first, Bathe The Cat (Chronicle Books, February 8, 2022) written by Alice B. McGinty with illustrations by David Roberts, a clever cat creates off-the-charts comedy with a little help from magnetized letters.

Come on folks,

it's time to clean!

Upstairs,

downstairs,

in-between.

This family, two youngsters, a baby, and two dads, need to work together because Grandma is arriving at two o'clock.  Their house is chaotic clutter. All the assignments are posted on the refrigerator door.  They are read aloud by Daddy.  The last one,

and I'll bathe the cat,

is not welcome news for the cat.

The wily feline rearranges the letters. When Daddys asks why the children and Dad are wasting time, they look at the tasks listed on the door.  They make no sense at all.

. . . Bobby, bathe the mat.

Sarah, mop the baby,

and Dad will mow the cat. 

Trust me, this cat does not want to be mowed.  Paws switch the letters again.  It is another crazy list.

The crafty cat goes back to the refrigerator.  This list is even more nonsensical, until Daddy makes a discovery.  It is almost time for Grandma Marge to walk through the door.  Will she find mayhem or peaceful perfection?

Author Alice B. McGinty begins this book with a common scenario, getting ready for the visit of a relative.  As her first rhyming phrases unfold, we easily step into their rhythm until the last sentence, a question.  Then, we burst into laughter.  Our laughter increases with every meddlesome moment the cat spends moving the words and fashioning outlandish new tasks which rhyme beautifully.  Here is another hilarious passage.

No, no! That's WRONG! You call this work?!

Have all you people gone BERSERK?

You've scrubbed my fish! You fed the FLOOR?!

MUST I READ THIS LIST ONCE MORE??

The bright shades of orange, pink, green, yellow, and blue we see on the front, right, of the open dust jacket invite happiness regardless of the frantic looks on all the characters, except the cat, of course.  We see here a hectic incident frozen in time.  We are curious to know what has happened.  To the left of the spine on another crisp white background, the child wearing the dinosaur costume is kneeling over the fishbowl.  She is feeding three eager fish.

On the book case the background is white.  On either side of the spine is a single image.  We see the fathers and two of the children chasing the cat that is nearly off the right side.  The baby is smiling and crawling along in the lower, left-hand corner.

On the opening endpapers, letters on the refrigerator spell the tasks to accomplish.  On the left side is a child's drawing of Daddy and Dad.  For reasons readers can guess, the words on the closing endpapers refer to things to do for the cat.  On the left side is a drawing of Grandma Marge.  On the right side is a drawing of the cat.

On the title page, the cat calmly licking one paw with a toy mouse in the other paw sits on top of the ''t'' in bathe.  These images by artist David Roberts ask readers to pause at every page turn.  We need to appreciate the details and the expressions on the characters' faces.  Just looking at the cat's face will have readers giggling. 

Rendered in pencil and watercolor, each two-page visual is loaded with elements extending and enhancing the words.  Sometimes we are brought close to the action and feel as though we are participants.  Other times, we stand back more as observers.  When the cat is rearranging the letters on the refrigerator, we are brought very close which heightens the laughter factor.

One of my many favorite illustrations takes place outside the characters' home.  The home with its hues of orange door supplies the background.  On the left, Bobby is bathing the welcome mat with a CAT SHAMPOO BOTTLE next to the large orange bucket.  Behind him and to his right, Daddy is vacuuming the lawn.  On the right, Sarah is mopping a laughing baby.  Dad is looking perplexed as he stands next to the lawn mower.  The cat, tail with fur on end, is running off the right edge.  It just heard the sentence

 Mow the cat?

If there is one thing we know to be true, it is laughter can be the best medicine, especially the laughter of children.  This book, Bathe The Cat written by Alice B. McGinty with artwork by David Roberts, is one readers will read often and listeners will beg to have it read repeatedly.  I highly recommend you have a copy in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Alice B. McGinty has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  David Roberts has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.

Who can resist the allure of a kitten?  Those little bundles of fur are some of the most magical of baby animals.  Their curiosity for whatever is around them and their ensuing shenanigans can melt the iciest of hearts.  Author Florence Minor and her husband, artist Wendell Minor, present all the delightful, memorable aspects of these adorable babies in their newest collaboration, Smitten with Kittens (Charlesbridge, March 8, 2022).

Who isn't smitten

with a kitten's sweet MEW

and all the cute things

that kittens will DO?

The first meal of the day gives kittens the energy they need to play.  Outside, they love to chase butterflies.  Inside, they look in a mirror wondering about the handsome being they see.

If they happen to wander into the bathroom, it will only happen once or at least their humans will keep the toilet paper in a safer location in the future.  The television supplies endless entertainment for kittens.  The birds are the stars, but they don't seem to fly into the room. 

Tucked into the smallest cubbies, kittens hide and expect you to seek.  They run and romp and run and romp until their energy is gone.  Then, they get cozy and rest.  They dream of doing what they do best.

Within a single sentence or two, using rhyming words, Florence Minor creates joy we willingly embrace.  Her pacing asks readers to participate in the narrative, guessing what the second rhyming word is.  Throughout the entire narrative, we smile at the behavior of the kitten she so aptly describes.  Florence Minor has gifted us with the experience of being a kitten.  Here is the first of two sentences.  I wonder what the second rhyming word will be.

Kittens make trouble

whatever they DO---

rolling, more rolling . . .

In looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, we stop for a bit to relish the artwork of Wendell Minor.  Rendered

in graphite on paper and digital,

the illustrations are rich in texture and authenticity.  Every line vibrates with the liveliness embodied in kittens.  Wendell's masterful command of light and shadow raises the reader's pictorial experience.

On the front, right side of the jacket, the title text is raised.  There are also seven paw prints in varnished white on the right side of the front.  To the left, on the other side of the spine, a charcoal kitten is in a pounce pose.  Its expression is pure playfulness.

On the opening and closing endpapers are a series of ten kitten poses.  It is as if particular seconds are paused in time.  They are nearly photographic, but soft in their quality.  They are graphite on white.  Every single one is stunning.

On the initial title page, two kittens look up from the inside of a cardboard box.  One is resting their front paws on the edge of the box.  On the formal title page a large image of a kitten begins on the left, crosses the gutter, and extends to the center of the right side.  The kitten is curled and napping.  It is curled around a red toy mouse with white hearts on it.

White space is an element in these images drawing our attention to the kittens.  The kittens are shown in a variety of activities and poses.  We might see their entire body or only a portion.  Color is used sparingly as an accent.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  Three kittens are seated in a row with their backs to us.  One is to the left of the gutter; the other two are to the right of the gutter.  They are facing a television screen placed on a large surface.  They are staring intently at a bright red cardinal flying close to them among the clouds.  Their tiny heads are cocked slightly to indicate their concentration.

Readers of all ages will enjoy reading and rereading Smitten with Kittens written by Florence Minor with artwork by Wendell Minor.  At the close of the book are two pages with ten Fun Facts about kittens.  For cat and kitten lovers and for those wishing to enhance their appreciation of our feline friends, you'll want to have a copy of this title in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Florence Minor and Wendell Minor and their other work, please follow the link embedded in their names to take you to their shared website.  Florence and Wendell also share professional Facebook and Pinterest accounts.  Florence Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Wendell Minor has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. At the publisher's website, you can view an interior illustration and download an activity sheet.  At Penguin Random House, you can view additional interior images.

Furry Friends Find Fun And Family

They are the ultimate companions.  Their distinctive personalities provide us with constant comfort and laughter.  Truthfully, without them our worlds would be incomplete.  They make us wholly human.

For this reason, let us look at three publications in the last five months with feline or canine characters.  In the first title, Joy (Candlewick Press, June 6, 2020) written by Yasmeen Ismail with illustrations by Jenni Desmond, a kitten shows us how to release merriment with total abandon.  You'll be ready to join this frisky feline in mere seconds.

Oh, boy! Oh, boy!

My favorite toy.

I feel joy!

A red ball of yarn caught in the paws of this mischief maker fashions a red tangled trail, until another object gets the scamp's attention.  A blue ball bounces across a room, over its other animal occupants, with the kitten close to it.  Momentarily pausing for an affectionate cuddle with a cat parent, the kitten, along with the ball, is off and running into a nearby lamp.

Kitten and ball go, go, go, until stopped by colliding into the large resident dog.  Several unplanned moves later, some due to the rambunctious dog, finds the youngster outside.  Down, down, down the steps of the porch, the little furry one boings and bounces.

This does not feel good.  This hurts.  The kitten wants its mom or dad.  In a quick minute, a parent is there, offering the necessary care.  Back inside they go, to curl up together in their bed.  Wait!  Oh, no . . . off the kitten goes.

Whether read silently or aloud the words by author Yasmeen Ismail will send your soul dancing with their rhyming, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.  Each carefully chosen word mirrors the antics of the kitten and her current favorite toy.  In addition to the tale of happiness the sentences tell, readers will be reassured by the gestures and care given by the parent to the kitten.  Here is a passage.

Shake,

rattle,

and

ROLL,

this happy soul! 

When you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you are introduced to the story's characters, and the use of full color on white which is prevalent throughout the book.  The kitten, beginning her dance of glee on the front is varnished along with the yarn and title text.  To the left, on the back, the adult cat holds the kitten close in their red, green, and blue plaid bed.  A single curled string of red yarn is on the floor to the left of and behind the bed. 

On the opening and closing endpapers done in the bright red shown on the jacket and case is a tangle of white yarn strung across both pages and coming to rest as a white ball of yarn in the lower, right-hand corner.  On the dedication, verso, and title pages we see a sleeping adult in the bed on the left.  Bouncing dashes indicate the jumping of the kitten that has left the bed to begin the chase with the red ball of yarn.

Illustrator Jenni Desmond using

mixed media

depicts all the elation this kitten feels and displays.  Her images span two pages, portions of single pages, or are grouped together on a single page to portray movement and passage of time.  Cleverly placed dashes indicate the movement of the kitten and its current favorite toy.  At times, the words follow the same path as the dashes.  The facial expressions on the animal characters, especially the kitten, convey their every mood.  The perspective is usually one of observer in the room, but several times to place dramatic emphasis on a point in the narrative, we move close to the kitten.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  Across the bottom on a canvas of crisp white the lamp has fallen and is bent from left to right with the shade resting in the lower, right-hand corner.  Above the lamp in a series of loop-de-loops made by the dashes, the words on top, the kitten and blue ball travel.  Above the lamp and shade on the right, the kitten mid flip, is grinning in absolute satisfaction.

If you want to make your heart happy, experiencing the energy of that happiness, then this book is for you.  Joy by Yasmeen Ismail with illustrations by Jenni Desmond is a read aloud delight on every page.  I highly recommend this title for a storytime focusing on pets, playfulness, and to present how word play can create a mood or a moment.  You'll want to add this book to your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Yasmeen Ismail has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Jenni Desmond has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  At Penguin Random House you can view other portions of the book.

It's not often a dog is categorized as a foodie.  Oh, we know how amazing it is that they can distinguish between the fruit, vegetable, and cheese drawer in the refrigerator.  When the cheese drawer is opened, they appear next to you, seated and ready for a treat, with the speed of light.  Their ability to distinguish one from the other is the stuff of legend.  They do love certain foods over other delicious delights.

In her debut picture book as author and illustrator Alexandra Thompson explores food, and the delectable life of a French Bulldog.  In A Family For Louie (Putnam, G. P. Putnam's Sons, June 6, 2020), we follow this canine foodie whose life is almost perfect, except for one thing.  He knows magical moments are better when shared.

Louie considered himself a

dog of very fine tastes.

He knew every chef in town.

He enjoyed the best restaurants and their finest fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  He never missed dessert.  In a park fountain he bathed before retiring in the evening with a book and a cup of hot cocoa.  As far as Louie was concerned this life of his was as heavenly as a gourmet meal.

Louie did notice other dogs sharing their days with humans.  Louie decided it might be nice to have a family.  What he did not expect was how hard it was to find a family.  One had terrible food choices, and another one had . . . horror of horrors . . . a cat!

As the sun dropped beneath the horizon, Louie's spirits dropped too.  Maybe there was no family for him.  Louie wandered from the park to the town.  What was this?  A new bakery?

Outside the bakery was a little girl Louie did not recognize.  She was friendly.  Louie was uncharacteristically shy.  It seemed that a cupcake could win the heart of a very particular French Bulldog.

When the story begins author Alexandra Thompson paints an endearing picture of Louie with her words.  We immediately identify with the life he has made for himself.  This seemly perfect life is an ideal segue into what Louie needs most.  Humor plays an important part in his attempts to find a family leading us into a gentle, welcome resolution.  Here is a passage.

The next day, Louie saw

a family having a picnic

at the beach.

He thought he might ask to join them,

but when Louie approached . . .

they were eating Jell-O salad

and sardine sandwiches!

These digitally designed illustrations by illustrator Alexandra Thompson convey with detailed charm Louie, his love of food, and his search for a fuller life.  In looking at the open dust jacket readers get a glimpse on the front, right, and back, left, of what that life can be for Louie.  On the front he is looking into the new bakery window with the little girl and her mother as silhouettes.  The title appears as though it is the name of the bakery.  The framing on the window is framing his new beginning.  

To the left, on the back, is a circular, decorative frame around a picture of Louie and the little girl.  They are both holding cupcakes with the cherry on top already consumed.  There is sheer contentment on their faces.  The words above them read:

Life is sweeter

when shared with friends.

The book case is a double page image of a country scene.  The background is a pale blue sky with pink light and clouds.  To the right of the spine on a hillside with meadow flowers, Louie, the little girl, and her mother are seated beneath a tree having a picnic. 

The opening and closing endpapers tell a tale too.  They represent Louie's life before and after he meets his new family.  It's a scene in the city featuring a single arched window in a wall with lanterns on either side.  

Each visual is either a double-page picture, a group of smaller images, or a single-page illustration.  Due to the technique employed by Alexandra Thompson, your eyes are immediately drawn to Louie in each one.  His distinctive facial expressions and body postures depict his every mood.  You'll find yourself falling in love with this little dog.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a full-page picture.  It's nighttime in the town.  In the background stars glow in the sky as lights shine in building windows.  Two trees on the left side of the park stand in dark dusky purple silhouette.  On the right side is a large tree with roots extending across the entire page.  Beneath those roots Louie has carved out a space for himself.  We see it in a cutaway.  The sight of him reading, snuggled in a blanket with his cup of hot cocoa, is precious.

Readers will become attached to the character in this story who is looking for a family.  A Family For Louie written and illustrated by Alexandra Thompson is about finding the most valuable piece missing from the puzzle that is your life.  I know this book will be a favorite for storytimes.  Give your listeners their favorite stuffed toy dog to hold when you share this book with them.  You'll want to add this to your professional and personal collections and gift it to dog lovers you know.

To learn more about Alexandra Thompson and her other work, follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  Alexandra Thompson is a guest at author Katelyn Aronson's site.  At the publisher's website you can view the opening endpapers.  I believe you'll enjoy the reading of this book by its creator.

Sometimes our furry friends' personalities take zeal to an over-the-top level.  They see the world around them in an entirely different light than those with whom they share it.  It is this contrast which generates roll-on-the-floor hilarity.

There is a new cat in town who fits this description with excellence.  No Fuzzball! (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., August 4, 2020) written and illustrated by Isabella Kung is a debut release certain to leave a lasting impression long after the final word is read.  Get ready readers for a riotous read on the wild side.

Hello, I am

NOFuzzball.

Perhaps you have never heard a name like this before,

but that is because you have not met

a queen like me.

This cat believes she is a queen because her humans, her subjects, scream at her, calling her name throughout the house.  She is certain they honor her every request when they are really going about their day. When she sees a packed suitcase, she is certain it is a present for her.

Her family is not happy she decides it is a new bed.  Tending to her ruffled fur after being lifted out of the suitcase, she is unaware they have left the house.  She is shocked at this discovery.  How could this happen?!

She muses about their possible reasons for leaving.  She is thrilled they took the dog, 

that disgusting slobbering mess.

Now she can nap in peace.

She is surprised to find them still absent after her nap, so she starts to roam around the house, worrying about possible scenarios in which they are hurt or kidnapped. In order to dispel these fears, she is determined to be a different kind of ruler.  She does her queenliest best as a cat of cats to spruce up the house.  Will they love what she has done to the place (palace)?  What do you think?

Told in the words of her queenship, humor is replete on every page. The authenticity of No Fuzzball's remarks, her point of view, is purr-fect.  As you read this story, it is hard not to think of author Isabella Kung as a cat whisperer.  Here is a passage.

A queen cannot tolerate such disrespect!

I demand a formal apology . . .

Wait, they left?

How dare they

forget their place?!

What has gotten into them?

There is no doubt in your mind when looking at the open book case, this cat is a bundle of energy, somewhat out of control to her humans, but having the time of her life.  She is a maker of messes.  A destroyer of calm.  And she will always cause you to giggle and grin.  The yellow ribbons on the right, front, cross over the spine to wind around, framing a collection of cat toys on the left, back.  In the center are sentences from the start of the narrative.  In a stroke of genius, a smaller No Fuzzball is casually leaning on the ISBN.

On the opening and closing endpapers readers are treated to the many moods of No Fuzzball.  The 15 images on the first set of endpapers are placed on a white canvas with red as an accent color.  The second set of 15 visuals with blue as the extra hue are also on a white background.  Here is also information about Isabella Kung.

On the verso and title pages it appears as though torn lavender paper reveals orange paper under it.  On the title page No Fuzzball is ripping the paper to reveal the No in the title.  She is at her catastrophic best.

These illustrations by illustrator Isabella Kung span two pages, single pages, or several smaller visuals are grouped on a single page.  No Fuzzball's fur is textured to the point you feel as though you might want to touch it, but you won't because this is No Fuzzball.  Shades of purple and red lend themselves to special marked moments.  It's the looks on the face of No Fuzzball and her subjects which will have you bursting into laughter.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  It's when No Fuzzball is taking a nap.  Four lighted shapes of the sun shining through a window move from left to right, two on either side of the gutter.  These shapes are outlined in a golden orange color.  They are placed on a wooden floor in a muted purple.  No Fuzzball moves around in different positions which are typical but also comedic.

If you are looking for loads of fun and funny, No Fuzzball written and illustrated by Isabella Kung, her debut release, is a claw-some selection.  The constant comparison between the cat's beliefs and reality provide readers with a true page-turner.  You'll be asked to read it repeatedly.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Isabella Kung, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Isabella Kung has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Isabella Kung is a guest on Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, The Soaring '20s and at Jena Benton Writer & Illustrator.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Isabella Kung was part of a Scholastic Book Fair Book Joy Live event hosted by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.  Please take a few moments to enjoy these two videos.

Countdown To 2019 #2 Night

Last night, or rather very early this morning, a yip split the air outside the house.  It was followed by a melodic, soulful howling of at least one coyote.  It was breathtakingly beautiful and a reminder of a world that exists for many when others are sleeping.

There are animals whose lives function best when darkness changes the landscape into a multitude of shadows and shapes not seen during daylight.  There are people who work tirelessly during the night to ensure safety and stability for many individuals. Published in 2018 there are two lovely titles presenting those whose tasks take them from their homes while the rest of the community sleeps.

Night Job (Candlewick Press, September 11, 2018) written by Karen Hesse with illustrations by G. Brian Karas invites readers to join a father and his son for one night.  In that one night we are introduced to a lasting love.  We understand the precious nature of memories acting as the glue for an unbreakable bond.

On Friday nights, when the sun goes down,
I snap the clips shut on Dad's lunch box
and climb onto the back of his bike.

The boy, hands and arms clasped around his father's body, roar down the highway on a motorcycle.  After passing the bay, they arrive at their destination, a school.  The odor of the air has shifted from fish to lilacs.

After unlocking the door to the building, the two enter and start to work.  In the gym, they begin, one dusting the floor and the other shooting baskets.  As they clean the cafeteria and stage, a radio momentarily takes them to a baseball game.  Together they sweep one hallway after another hallway.

Two hours before midnight they stop and eat their packed meal in the courtyard. Later when they move to the library, one polishes and another one reads aloud until he falls asleep.  With dawn less than two hours away, the dad and his son get ready to leave, riding the bike back home.

They pass wildlife and fishermen getting ready to work.  Quietly they enter their neighborhood.  A regular routine guides them to rest and dreams.


When Karen Hesse writes this story, she chooses to direct our attention to very specific details.  Her poetic depictions of these elements lure and lull us into the magic found in this night.  She takes what is normal and ordinary and lifts it up.  We realize the priceless nature of this job and this relationship.  Here is a passage.

We pull into our space.
Dad hauls out a ring of keys
as big as the rising moon.
He opens the door
and the building sighs.
Come, it whispers to us.


There is something special and welcoming about the fine lines forming eyebrows, eyes, noses and mouths and creating soft scenes in the artwork of G. Brian Karas.  On the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, as the dad and his son work, we see a fondness for their tasks and for each other.  To the left, on the back, we join them in the courtyard as they eat their nighttime meal.  They are cozy in the darkness with light from the hallway shining on them.

A deep muted blue covers the opening and closing endpapers.  G. Brian Karas begins his pictorial interpretation on the initial title page giving us a view of the apartment where the dad and son live.  All other windows are dark except for their window. In four horizontal squares spread across two pages the preparations and leaving of the duo are placed beneath the title text on the formal page.

The dark muted colors shown in small square images, full-page and double-page pictures, and illustrations moving over the gutter to create columns for text beckon to readers.  At another point G. Brian Karas uses three vertical panels over two pages to provide the passage of time.  It's as if we have stepped into another realm, one of comfort and consistency.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the third panel of those vertical illustrations.  In this one as our eyes move from left to right, we understand the floor polishing is completed and the dad is now dusting book shelves.  Off to the right in a corner made by higher book cases sits a green sofa with a single light shining on it.  The boy has fallen asleep.  He has taken off his red sneakers.  He is still holding the book he was reading in one hand, but it is now resting on the floor.  Bliss.


You want to hug this book.  You want to put it next to your bed, at the very least, or maybe under your pillow.  You want to share Night Job written by Karen Hesse with illustrations by G. Brian Karas with everyone.  You certainly will want a copy on your personal and professional book shelves.
To learn more about Karen Hess and G. Brian Karas follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. At Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  Candlewick Press has an author's note about the journey to publication.  In a beautiful post, author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, speaks about this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  G. Brian Karas has an account on Twitter.



Sometimes during the night beings who normally hide, reveal themselves.  Their need for connections overcomes their fear.  Kitten and the Night Watchman (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, September 25, 2018) written by John Sullivan with illustrations by Taeeun Yoo is a story about one of those connections.

The night watchman hugs
his wife and children . . .

and drives to work. 

As the sky turns red and orange and gold, he takes his solitary walks.  Every aspect, doors, windows and workshops, in buildings are checked.  He strolls through yards full of equipment.  A startled bird shrieks into the dusk.

Pausing for a moment the night watchman sees a full moon and stars bathe the city in light.  A soft sound gets his attention.  A kitten has returned.  Now the man is not alone as he creates a path with his flashlight.

Machines look like monsters or insects.  A jet travels overhead.  A dinner is shared as the companions rest.  Wherever he goes, the kitten follows, until she vanishes.

Where did she go?  A dog barks.  Travelers in cars and on trains make other night noises.  The night watchman can't stop thinking about the kitten.  Hours tick-tock past until the sky lightens.  A man leaves his workplace in his car, heading home with a gift.


In simple declarative sentences by John Sullivan, this story unfolds.  Through this technique we are able to walk side-by-side with the night watchman.  His descriptions of sights and sounds disclose the changes night brings.  Here are some sentences.

An excavator bows
like a strange giraffe.

A backhoe rises 
like a giant insect.

A jet glows in the night sky.
SHHHHEEEEEEEEERRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMM
And all is quiet again.


The open and matching dust jacket and book case, front and back, are symbolic of a discovery and continuation of a lasting friendship.  On the former the watchman finds his feline friend has returned again.  On the later, what was lost is found.  The moon and flashlight beam on the jacket are varnished.

The color palette used by Taeeun Yoo is rich and bold making use of blues and purples with complementary splashes of yellow and red.  She eases into the night hues by starting with close-of-the-day shades.  The opening and closing endpapers in contrast are a pale robin's egg blue.  On the initial title page, the words are placed on a canvas of a slightly darker blue with golden colors.  This continues to the verso and title pages with deeper and warmer hues of gold.

Each illustration rendered using digital and hand-printed textures is on full pages, double pages or loosely framed circles.  Even in the shadows encountered on the night watchman's walk, there is a warmth.  When light intrudes it does so in sync with the night.  Taeeun Yoo alters her perspective to intensify the emotional impact of the story.

One of my many favorite pictures is on a single page.  We are close to the night watchman viewing only the upper portion of his body.  In his hands he is holding the kitten close to his face.  Both have a look of pure contentment on their expressions.  Thick lines of light outline elements on their bodies.


Here is yet another book you want to hug and share with the world.  Kitten and the Night Watchman written by John Sullivan with illustrations by Taeeun Yoo is this man's author debut.  It is based upon a true story, his story.  I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.  To learn more about Taeeun Yoo follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She maintains an account on Instagram.  John Sullivan is interviewed at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.  Taeeun Yoo is interviewed at Let's Talk Picture Books.  Both interviews focus mainly on this title.  At Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson, talks about this title.  It's a treat to see all this artwork.

Heed The Need

There are individuals who by the lives they live inspire those around them.  Their path is not always well-worn by the use of others.  They choose the high road, the road in service to others.  They live by the Golden Rule which means everyone wins.

We observers of these individuals, some of us recipients of their kindnesses, learn regardless of being aware a lesson is being presented.  One such being in children's literature is Otis, the tractor.  His goodness seen in Otis, Otis And The Tornado, Otis And The Puppy, An Otis Christmas, and Otis And The Scarecrow is steadfast and spirited.  Otis And The Kittens (Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, September 20, 2016) penned and painted by Loren Long takes us back to the farm, a place we have grown to love.

It was hot and dry on the farm where the friendly little tractor named Otis lived.

It was a rainless summer with low water levels.  Otis worked with the other farmhands in the fields baling and bringing in straw to the barn near Mud Creek.  While Otis was ready at day's end to rest in a shady spot, the bull was not.  It was time for a good old-fashioned game of tug-of-war.  He gave his signature signal, the ducks looped the rope around his horns and Otis's steering wheel and the fun commenced.

One afternoon as the animals gathered together Otis noticed an orange tabby cat racing to the barn.  Smoke was coming from the upper level!  Reaching the bottom of the hills and seeing the cat in distress, Otis with his remarkable

putt puff puttedy chuff

charged forward.  Inside flames seemed to leap from one bale of hay to the other.  The cat was meowing frantically.

In reply soft meows, like whispers, came from the loft.  There were five kittens.  Otis positioned himself so they could ride on him to safety.  Once outside the mother was still panicked.  Returning Otis found the barn thick with smoke and the fire was fierce but he managed to send the sixth kitten on its merry way.

As Otis struggled to leave, the fire delivered a blow to our hero.  The intrepid tractor was in terrible trouble.  Even the arrival of Fire Chief Douglas did not alleviate his fears.  Outside the barn, Otis's animal friends were in a frenzy.  They had figured out what the people had not.  In the following moments, the fire and fear were replaced with friendship, a friendship forged one

putt puff puttedy chuff

at a time.


When Loren Long writes about Otis, the animals, and life on the farm his descriptions take us into the landscape.  He vividly represents the seasons and the weather which are integral to this way of life.

Water was in short supply, the ground was hard and the cornstalks were half as tall as they should've been.

Long creates a scenario, the animals in a tug-of-war game, with significant phrases and actions which is a part of the rhythm of barnyard playfulness but also is essential to the narrative.  With every sentence, after the discovery of the fire, the tension increases as Otis goes and returns from the barn.  Our hearts are completely connected to Otis, the situation and the other characters.

Otis wheeled around to see if any more kittens were left.  The old boards of the barn's floor creaked, buckled, and moaned.  The walls popped.  He couldn't wait another second. 

But like all master storyteller's Loren Long takes us into a story and back out again, all the better for having been there.


On the matching dust jacket and book case Loren Long features the friendly tractor and the first five kittens he rescues.  Placing two of them inside the fireman's hat gives us our first hint of the conflict in this story.  To the left, on the back, within a circle is the old-style fire truck, hoses being unwound by two firemen.  The ducks, puppy and kittens are anxiously watching.  A tiny Otis at the bottom is racing toward the ISBN.  On the steely gray opening and closing endpapers, Long has placed a single phrase in white.

FOR THE BRAVE WHO RUN TOWARD DANGER INSTEAD OF AWAY.

On the initial title page one orange kitten is inside another fireman's had with the C replaced with a 10.  A stunning two page panoramic view of the farm, looking like an Andrew Wyeth painting but still distinctively a Loren Long work of art, is the canvas for the formal title page.

Single page portraits of life on the farm are loosely framed in a small black line on backgrounds of crisp white. On the two-page spreads the same black line edges the images but Long has some of the elements break outside the confines of those lines.  To intensify a given situation perspective is shifted, pulling us into the scene.  In several frightening moments the illustrations bleed off the sides and top of the page.

The color palette chosen by Long in the Otis books is important to the way we experience these tales.  The shades of brown, gray, and black with splashes of color, the daisies, the ducks' bills, the bull and kittens and Otis's red are particularly pastoral.  Whether you are familiar with farmlands or not, Long conveys their soul.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when the animals are playing tug-of-war.  To the left of the gutter the bull, rope wrapped around his horns, is pulling away, hooves firmly in place.  He is being assisted by the horse, puppy (clinging above ground) and two ducks.  On the right side Otis, tongue outside his mouth in concentration, is heaving, his front wheel off the ground.  Three ducks, the cow and calf are helping him.  I like that two of the ducks break out of the frame.


Otis And The Kittens written and illustrated by Loren Long is a fine, fine story of life on the farm and the friendships grown there.  It's a tribute to those who place themselves in harm's way to save others.  It shows what I heard repeatedly when growing up...many hands make light work.  These characters are beloved and this story will cause a collective sigh at the end.  Trust me.


To learn more about Loren Long and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  There is a special website devoted to all the Otis books.  You can get a peek at the interior at the publisher's website.  Loren Long talks about Why Picture Books Are Important during Picture Book Month 2015.  Several years ago Loren Long was featured at artistsnetwork.  An Otis lesson has been created at TeacherVision.  This is a subscription database but for now this lesson is available.

Sketch from Otis and the Kittens
From @PhilomelBooks , 9/20/16.@penguinkids pic.twitter.com/gNnYJU8F6z

— Loren Long (@lorenlong) September 2, 2016